Tuesday, July 27, 2010

My new Book Club

I've recently joined a book club. 

This has been one of the things I've always wanted to do.  So I was super excited when my friend Wendy invited me to join her new book group.  I feel like a super cool adult whenever I mention my bookclub.  Like I'm a member of some secret society.  And for me, it is.  It's been something I've always thought would be so neat and now that I have the opportunity to be a part of one....I'm giddy with glee.  So thank you Wendy-- for thinking of me :)

The recent book we read was called "The Help", by Kathryn Stockett.  I really enjoyed the book and it gave such a new perspective for me that I appreciate. 

The book was written about the invisible social lines that were drawn between white people and colored people in the south in the 60's.  Specifically the colored maids (the 'help') and the white women who employed them. 

Here is the synopsis from Kathryn Stockett's website:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

I really recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something to read.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Lightning & Lady Bugs.

We took a drive up to the top of Jack's Peak which is located in the Burro Mountains south of Silver City.  At the top we had a 360 degree view of the world around us.  We could see for at least 100 miles, and most of the view was restricted due to the thunderstorms all around.  The cloud formations resulting from the thunderstorms was gorgeous.  We watched the distant lightning (trust me, if it was close we would've been getting off that mountain real quick.  It had a bunch of radio and cell phone towers on it.  Not a good place to be with lightning) and watched the colors of the sky change as the sun went down.  All of these pictures were taken with my phone...I so regret not having my camera. 

The beauty of God's creation is simply magnificent. 
At the top we found a huge nest of ladybugs. 

The base of this tree was completely covered in ladybugs.  I'd never seen so many in my entire life.
Thank you Lord, for the beauty that you have created. 
Thank you for allowing us to enjoy your creation.  Amen.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Chi-Town


Chicago was simply amazing.  I want to go back and be able to explore the city more.

We made one certain little redheaded girl's day when we visited the American Girl Store.  She was so cute because she was worried about which doll to pick.  They both ended up choosing Bitty Baby's and an outfit each. 



Asleep on the train.
Good-night and Good-bye Chicago.
I will see you again. 

Thursday, July 15, 2010

My house at the moment

Just in case anyone is feeling down about their house being a mess.  Remember that there is always someone, somewhere with a messier house than yours. 

Case in point:

My week long project of switching the girls' rooms has become a summer long project.  All of Tracey's belongings are in our living room and I'm slowly getting the little girls' things into their new room. 

Someday I'll get this finished...

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Coffee Crossroads


I have been at a philosphical crossroads this summer. 

I would love to be a coffee drinker.  All those wonderful flavors and aromas....

People who order coffee sound so sophisticated and it's such a beautiful language...

...mocha, espresso, barista, latte, macchiato...

I love the smells, the sounds, the language...

...but I can't stand the taste.

In the past I've made feeble attempts at being sophisticated by ordering my own coffee-type drink...but it's hard to feel sophisticated and worldly when you order a coffee without the coffee and the barista looks at you like you've just sprouted fiery lizards from your ears. 

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Fourth, Family, & FIREworks!!!

I love the 4th of July!!! 
I love seeing all the red, white, and blue. 
I love seeing the flags. 
I love the parades.
I love seeing excited anticipation on the children's faces. 
I love the fireworks. 
 I love having friends and family together. 
 I love the patriotic music (especially paired w/ fireworks).
I love having my husband home on his favorite holiday.
I love the 4th of July!!

My cousin nicely supplemented our fireworks stash this year!  Gina and Savannah came to celebrate the 4th with us and we had so much fun.  Aaron had an apprentice for lighting all the fireworks and the little girls absolutely loved watching the fireworks go off.
FIRE-works!!!
No worries.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Milk Maids

I think by far the highlight of the trip for my little ones was getting to the farm and learning to milk cows.  They talked about it the entire way there (and that was a looooooong time!)  Cousin Tomine showed Kylee what to do. 
Since Kylee was at a distinct height advantage I had to help out some.
Kylee was so proud of her glove.  She used the glove to wash the teets with iodine before attaching the milker machine things.
Next student:  Tracey
Robert (Tomine's dad) showed her the ropes.
She was a natural. 

I see new careers in their futures. 

Or at least summer jobs.